Councillors welcome Peterborough police action to tackle issues caused by car cruises in city

Action taken by Peterborough police to tackle issues caused by unauthorised anti social car meetings in the city have been welcomed by city councillors.

Police have imposed a number of dispersal orders in the city in recent weeks, after receiving intelligence that car meetings were due to take place. The orders mean that action can be taken to move people on if they are causing anti-social behaviour.

The meetings have caused a number of issues in Peterborough over several years, ranging from people suffering serious injuries in accidents, through to noise complaints, and problems with rubbish left after the meetings.

Police and councillors have said that while the majority of people attending the meetings cause no issues, a minority are making residents’ lives a misery when the meetings happen.

A long term solution of a city wide injunction is being sought by Peterborough City Council at the moment.

Cllr Christian Hogg, who has campaigned for action to be taken to tackle the problems, welcomed the police move.

He said: “It is heartening to see the Police taking a more proactive stance with dealing with this blight on our communities, more positively the messages seem to be taking hold only recently we saw an example of a car meet organiser cancelling an event following conversations with the police. These dispersal orders are very effective, but they require forward planning from the Police following evidence that events have been planned.

“The council is still pursuing an injunction to cover the whole city at the same time as PSPOs to cover specific locations and an interim measure whilst the injunction is applied for.”

Cllr Julie Stevenson, who has also called for action following a number of issues in her ward in the Ortons, said: “The recent dispersal orders have been very welcome. Not only have they helped to ensure peaceful nights for our residents, they are an indication that the police can and will ‘get in front of’ unauthorised car meets when they know they are likely to happen to stop them before they start.

"While it is hoped that a countywide injunction will eventually push the problem out of Peterborough altogether, in the meantime, dispersal orders are proving very effective in bringing peace back to our communities and we ask the police to please continue to use them.”

When the last dispersal order was put in place earlier this month, Sergeant Connor Hall, from Peterborough’s southern Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “

“Car meets and associated anti-social behaviour has been a problem across the sector for some time, which is why it has been set as a priority for my team to tackle.

“Although often perceived and intended to be a good-natured event for car enthusiasts, these events have a history of becoming anti-social and cause the local community misery due to behaviour such as excessive noise with revving of engines and loud music, as well as reckless and dangerous driving, littering, and causing damage to road surfaces.”